Patricia Ann Dern

Patricia Ann Dern died at home in Clovis, California, on November 11, 2022, of chronic heart failure. She passed from this life to be with her parents Francis and Bernice Reap, her brother, Billy, and her son Eddie. She leaves behind four children—Mary Dern Walker, Colleen (Jeff) Nespor, Kathy (Mark) Allen, and Peter (Kelly) Dern—fifteen grandchildren, and twenty-three great-grandchildren.

Patricia was an adventurer, whether that meant living in South Central Los Angeles and teaching the gang kids in East L.A. or traveling with her family to exotic locations. She almost completed her ambition to visit all the continents; she missed only Antarctica. One of her favorite trips was her visit to Zimbabwe.

Patricia raised her children in Fresno, California, where she received her teaching credential and taught middle and high school for many years. Returning to her home town, Los Angeles, she earned a Master’s degree in Special Education and had a long teaching career dedicated to disadvantaged and special education students. She lived for many years in Northridge, California, before moving to Clovis four years ago to be closer to her children.

She will be remembered as a woman who loved her faith and her family deeply and did everything she could to help others and to give her family a good life. She will be missed by all who knew her.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation (www.aarbf.org).